Dear Educator

Dear Educator

At The Walt Disney Company, a passionate commitment to the environment has been a cornerstone of our corporate culture for more than 60 years. Moreover, we believe our unique connection to children gives us both the responsibility and the opportunity to share that commitment with young people, so that they can become good stewards of the environment.

That’s why we are embarking on a nationwide launch of Disney’s Planet Challenge, an environmental learning competition for students in grades 4-6. The program was launched in California in 1994 and has since expanded to Florida, the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong. We take great pride in the high praise it has earned from educators in those regions and elsewhere for the value it brings to the classroom.

A large part of the program's curricular benefit comes from the involvement of our education partners, the National Science Teachers Association and the K-12 Alliance, whose roles are described in articles on this page and on page 3. Elsewhere in this special report, you’ll learn how to enroll in Disney’s Planet Challenge and take advantage of its extensive website. You’ll also read about winning projects from past years and our special plans for the 2009-2010 grand prize-winning classroom.

On behalf of The Walt Disney Company, I invite your school district to participate with us in Disney’s Planet Challenge. It will get your students excited about the environment and engaged in a project that will serve your community and the planet.